What Matters Most
by E. J. Morgan
Summary: What if in the episode 'Love Hurts' Chris and Martino didn't get out in time before the explosion? (S01E08)


**What Matters Most**

The explosion rocked the entire street, causing people to run screaming for cover, trying to do everything in their power not to get struck by any errant flying debris. Merri ducked behind a pole just in time to avoid being hit in the head by a burning piece of wood coming her way as quick as a bullet, while Pride grabbed a panicking woman standing next to him and threw them both behind a parked car as glass shreds quickly covered every flat surface in their vicinity. The noise was almost unbearable when even the alarms started blaring all around them. And then, when the worst of it was over as fast as it had begun, it was still a chaos made worse by the sight of blood flowing from the less fortunate people's various wounds and a desperate man screaming for help and begging for someone – anyone – to call 911.

Pride slowly straightened, pulling the elderly woman up and looking her over.

"Are you all right, ma'am?"

She was too shook up to form any words, so she just nodded tearfully and looked around to assess the situation.

Pride's gaze followed hers, taking in the horrible sight in front of them: many were sitting on the pavement, crying openly, while others were running around aimlessly, clearly in shock. A middle-aged woman was hollering for her teenage son and seemed to be nearly fainting in fear of having lost him when he finally appeared from behind a tree where he had obviously taken cover. He was luckily uninjured but that couldn't be said for everyone.

One less fortunate man had a bleeding wound on his forehead and another was holding his arm close to his chest; he had obviously broken or at least fractured it when the brutal force of the explosion had thrown him across the road. The detonation had definitely been a powerful one.

Merri locked eyes with her boss from the other side of the street, and both nodded at each other, sending the message that they were fine. But then they both remembered at the same time…

"Christopher!" – Pride shouted and he immediately started to run towards the now burning building. – "Have you seen him come out?" – He asked as soon as Brody had caught on and joined him on his quest to get to their teammate.

"No… You don't think…?" – She panted, still completely out of breath after their scare. Her ears were still ringing and she had trouble concentrating on running and talking at the same time.

They both stopped in front of the place that just a couple of minutes ago had been an elegant restaurant but now resembled a war zone more than anything else. Pride was looking around, desperately hoping to spot his young friend, safe and sound.

"He went back for Martino."- He explained.

"Jesus…." – Was all Merri could say to that as she, too, searched the growing crowd in hope to see her partner jump out from behind a trash can, shouting 'gotcha!'. Sadly, that didn't happen.

More and more people gathered at the scene, many of them having recovered enough to have taken out their phones to film the sensation and sirens could be heard in the distance, gradually getting nearer. But LaSalle was still nowhere to be seen.

"I can't find him!" – The team leader shouted, staring into the flames. It was impossible to even go near the entrance, let alone get inside.

"He must have come out…" – Brody said, trying to sound more optimistic than she felt. – "He's small, he could be in the crowd, hidden by the onlookers…" – It sounded lame even to her, so she trailed off.

The NCIS leader tried his cell but soon swore loudly. – "Damn! No reception. Lines are probably busy."

During Mardi Gras, New Orleans was always extra crowded and now, with the explosion causing mayhem, it appeared the entire population was gathered in a one-mile radius around them.

"How come reporters got here sooner than the firefighters?" – Merri growled, having noticed a woman holding a microphone and talking into a camera right next to them, obviously filming the despairing agents' agony as well.

Pride didn't seem to care or maybe he hadn't even heard her. He was walking up and down by the place that used to be the entrance before it had collapsed altogether in front of their eyes, moving like a caged wild animal, sometimes calling out Chris's name, each time with more panic in his voice than before. It was heartbreaking to see but Brody had no idea how to help. The only one who would be able to keep the man from getting a heart attack soon was exactly the one they were missing: LaSalle. Chris always knew what to do or say to their boss when the man was stressed; it was as if those two could read each other's thoughts or something… More than once already she had watched them have complete conversations without uttering a single word.

Finally, help had arrived and a team of geared-up firefighters approached them.

"Sir, do you know if there were people inside when the explosion occurred?" – One of them asked Pride.

"I… I'm not entirely sure but… Yes, two men might have been…"

"I see. Can you tell me more about them?"

The NCIS agent was losing his patience.

"Why? Can't you just go and save them? We're wasting precious time! I'm going in-"

"Sir, please, calm down. We're extinguishing the fire and clearing the way already but I need you to focus and answer my questions now, all right?"

Pride took a deep breath, knowing very well the firefighter was right. They were the professionals and the most he could do for Chris now was cooperate with the help and then not hinder them in doing their jobs.

"My apologies." – He said and the man nodded in understanding. – "Chief Petty Officer Phil Martino is one of them. About 35 and… he has a sick child. Not in there, obviously, but… The boy needs his dad. And my agent, Christopher LaSalle. He's NCIS, 32 years old. We evacuated the building but couldn't find Martino. Christopher went back for him." – He explained as collected as he could manage, all the while eyeing the working men, willing them to move quicker.

"So, it's probable that, wherever they are, they are together?"

"We don't know… Depends on whether Chris has found Martino or not, I guess…" – Merri said when she realized her boss wasn't really listening anymore.

"Well, let's just hope he has and they're both safe. It would be easier if we didn't have to search for the two separately. I believe we can go in know. Excuse me." – With that, the lead firefighter left them to join his teammates in order to rescue the two lost young men.

In the following minutes Merri and Pride watched as the professionals slowly and very carefully ("Can't they just hurry the hell up!?" – Pride urged) entered the building and disappeared from sight. The cameras were still rolling and the anchorwoman was in her element but the two NCIS agents couldn't care less. They only had thoughts for their missing friend, silently praying he would make it out alive and possibly unharmed.

They barely noticed when Sebastian and Loretta joined them in front of the now quite innocent-looking ruins of the once beautiful old building and Pride only looked up when his old friend touched his shoulder.

"Chris is a fighter, Dwayne. He'll be fine…" – She promised, and it immediately made him feel somewhat better even though he knew with his brain that this was a vow she might not be able to keep.

"How did you know…?" – Brody asked in a daze, having only realized the presence of their additional company herself.

Sebastian motioned around.

"You're all over the news." – He explained. – "Broadcast nationwide, even mentioning LaSalle by name."

"Oh."

"Yeah. They're calling him a victim, as if they knew he's already dead-"

"He's not!" – Pride said forcefully as if he thought that by stressing it enough, he would make the statement true.

Sebastian seemed afraid of the man's wrath, so his next question was whispered only to Brody:

"Do you have an idea how they found out about him?"

"Not a clue." – The newest NCIS agent had a fleeting thought about what Chris's family in Alabama must be going through if they were watching the happenings right now and hearing their son's name as one of the potentional victims of the bombing but right now she couldn't do much about it. As a matter of fact, there was nothing she could do about anything, period. – "What a mess!"

"Merri, Dear…" – Loretta said in a calming way. – "Christopher needs us to keep it together now, all right? Please, don't lose hope."

"I won't. Sorry." – She knew the kind ME was right, of course. Their friend could be injured, lying in there, waiting to be rescued… He'd need them to help recuperate and panicking wouldn't help with that. Or he might be… but she wouldn't even go there. He needed to be all right!

After what felt like an eternity but was, in reality, only about ten minutes, the firefighters came out again. The NCIS team watched as they emerged one by one, always expecting the next one to support the missing young men, or carry a stretcher, maybe a body ba- no, not that. Just _something_. But there was nothing!

"Have you found him?" – Pride inquired quite unnecessarily when the leader stepped up to them.

"I'm sorry, we didn't find anyone inside."

Sebastian perked up.

"So, that must mean they got out in time!"

The firefighter shook his head sadly.

"It's possible of course but not necessarily the right conclusion."

Everyone stared and only Loretta found her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we've seen some… well…"

"Well?" – Pride pressed.

"_Ashes_ that could be all that remained from the people trying to get out and being right next to the bomb when it exploded."

"WHAT!?"

"I'm sorry but the bomb was close to the door, if your people were running out and were at the exit when the bomb went off…"

"Then nearly making it out could have been their demise, is that what you're saying?"

"Yes, ma'am." – The man nodded at Merri, knowing very well how much his words were hurting these people but needing to say them nonetheless. – "I'm so sorry. Of course the ashes need to be examined, right now it's impossible to tell if they're even human remains. The ground floor is a complete disaster, nothing is intact."

"But you were looking for them at other parts of the building, too, right?"

"Of course, but there was nothing to find."

"Couldn't they have taken cover somewhere?"

"We've looked everywhere but I'm afraid there was no part of the restaurant that could have given them enough safety; even the walk-in cooler collapsed. If they were anywhere inside the building at the time of the explosion, they didn't stand a chance."

The entire team was speechless. What was there to say to that? Christopher meant a lot to all of them, in different ways of course.

To Merri, he was her partner in work and partner in mischief. She was new to the team and Chris had accepted her readily right away, helping her adjust and find her place with them. She had expected some bitter resentment for disrupting the status quo, maybe even rivalry but there had never been anything but a warm welcome and full, unconditional support. She didn't know him that well yet because he was usually a private person but she knew New Orleans was his real home even if he had fond memories of Alabama and she had also realized the team was more his family than his blood relatives.

To Sebastian, Chris was like a really cool uncle you looked up to and dreamt of becoming like him one day. Never mind that the eccentric forensic scientist was somewhat older than the agent, he was still behaving around him like a star-struck fan meeting his idol for the first time.

To Loretta, he was an errand puppy that needed to be reigned in sometimes. Little pushes and shoves into the right direction usually did the trick and she enjoyed 'mothering' him a lot. When he had first started working with NCIS, he'd been very young and very impulsive; angry at the world and impatient to change it. And while he was still young, he had matured and become an amazing agent, and she liked to believe she'd had a hand in forming him.

And then there was Pride, of course. The man had been like a father to the boy ever since they had met many years ago, working together for the first time just after the destruction of Katrina in those horribly difficult times. And if battling their demons together hadn't been enough, right afterward they'd gotten the task to reconstruct the whole NCIS New Orleans office together, just the two of them. In the Pride family, Chris had quickly become an honorable member, with Linda all but adopting him and Laurel regarding him like an older, annoying but lovable brother. Really, the two 'kids' had been able get into so much trouble in such a short time that it was actually a mystery yet to be solved how they'd managed it. Like that memorable time when 'babysitter' Chris had, for some still unfathomable reason, let 12-year-old Laurel try out her mother's makeup kit on the both of them. By the time Linda and Dwayne had returned from the concert they had attended, the two were looking like clowns with Linda's expensive eyeshadow covering their faces and her exclusive blush shining on their foreheads. Dwayne had threatened to take the expenses off the young man's salary but then hadn't had the heart to do it when he'd realized how much his daughter had enjoyed herself with her 'Crazy Chris'. Of course, they had made sure not to leave anything out the next time they'd asked him to watch Laurel.

"No." – Pride said simply. – "He's not dead. If he were, I'd know." – And he was sure of that. He was sure he would feel it if his friend weren't among them anymore…

"I hope you're right, sir." – With that, the firefighter left them alone to their worry and grief.

"I…" – Sebastian's voice cracked and he had to clear his throat to be able to continue. – "I suppose I should go and… check those ashes…"

"You don't have to do it, Sebastian. Let NOPD handle this now." – Loretta suggested, not wanting to make their colleague suffer through having to examine remains, trying to find out whether their friend was really dead.

"Okay…"

After that, the four of them just stood there, unsure of what to do. What was the protocol of waiting for something that might never happen? They wished Chris would suddenly materialize out of nowhere, and would call their names and- Damn, Pride thought. He was already imagining things. He could have sworn he'd heard the young man call him.

"King!"

Here it was again. The team leader was sure he was losing his mind. And now he was also feeling someone grab his shoulder and-

"Christopher!?" – Could it be?

"King, gee… What a chaos! It took us twenty minutes to get here from the end of the street." – LaSalle complained and Martino nodded in confirmation.

"And phones aren't working either." – The man added as an explanation.

Pride, Loretta, Merri and Sebastian stared at the two newcomers in awe. Aside from a few cuts and bruises here and there, both seemed to be all right, if not a bit out of breath and riled up.

"How…?" – Was all Brody could finally ask when she managed to open her mouth.

"Well…" – Chris started, all the while fidgeting nervously. – "I'd seen the timer before going back into the restaurant, so by the time I found Phil on the balcony upstairs, I knew we wouldn't manage to get out in time. And I didn't want to be near the bomb when it exploded, so we went up onto the roof instead."

The chief petty officer continued.

"We had just managed to get up when the explosion happened and we were thrown against the railing… It hurt like hell but we survived."

"But the building was on fire and we couldn't go back down again. We couldn't stay on the roof either, for fear the whole thing would collapse or whatever…" – Chris looked up, shuddering at the memory of what they'd been through and Pride threw an arm around his protégé's shoulders gently, mindful of his injuries. – "Did you know the roofs are connected? We managed to climb over to the neighbor house."

"But the door to the stairs was locked there." – Phil groaned. – "And on the next building as well."

"We ended up climbing on the roofs until we found an open door on that house over there…" - Chris pointed at a building on the other end of the street, quite far away from where they were standing. – "But to walk here from there and to find you guys… It was nearly impossible. What are all these people standing here for and why are they staring at us?" – But the people in the crowd weren't the only ones staring. Sebastian, Loretta, Merri and Pride were all watching the two battered young men as if they were seeing an apparition. – "WHAT!? Do I have something on my face…?" – Chris tried to rub some imaginary dirt off his chin but it only resulted in the others finally realizing that his palm was bleeding profusely.

That, at least, had its effect and made the NCIS team move as one.

"Christopher, come on, you two need to be checked over by the paramedics."

"But Ms. Loretta, we're fine."

But resisting was fruitless: the ME grabbed Christopher's less injured arm and pulled him forcefully toward the waiting ambulance, fully supported by the others who were following them dutifully, making sure their teammate wouldn't bolt.

Not that Chris was feeling well enough to do anything but obey; glad he didn't have to think about what to do anymore. In the last hour or so he'd had to make so many life-or-death decisions that right now he was sure he wouldn't be able to choose between a croissant or a muffin anymore. So he just let himself be sat on the bench inside the ambulance and allowed the doctors to do whatever they needed to determine officially what he already knew anyway: that he was okay just deadly tired.

And while he was poked and prodded on every available surface of his body ("Ouch, hey! That was the only place that wasn't hurting!" – He had complained when an IV had been inserted), he looked out to find four teammates watching him like a hawk, never going any farther than what was absolutely necessary to let the paramedics work.

And he knew he shouldn't worry about his father's impossible expectations of him 'forgetting this childish playing around and come home finally to work in the family business' or to be bothered about his mother not speaking to him since he'd left to live in New Orleans, leaving (with her words: abandoning) her. He shouldn't try to solve all of his bipolar brother's problems by himself either, since it was impossible anyway, and shouldn't (futilely) try to get into contact with his estranged sister who shared their mother's view of his 'betrayal' of the LaSalle legacy.

No, he shouldn't care about any of this, because his team – his family – was right here next to him and that was what mattered most.

"Hey, King!" – He shouted, cringing when he saw yet another paramedic appear with an enormous needle in his hand and was coming, in Chris's humble opinion, with too determined strides toward him for comfort.

"Yes, Christopher?" – His boss asked, stepping closer as well, effectively blocking the way of the dude with the needle.

Chris had to smile at that. He knew he could always count on the man to have his back.

"Do you think we could go fishing on the weekend? I mean, we were interrupted the last time…"

Pride smiled and seemed strangely chocked up as he immediately nodded.

"Of course, Chris. Anything you want."

Yep. Life was good.


End file.
